Drones may be seen flying in Downtown Baton Rouge Thursday, according to the Baton Rouge Business Report. The Baton Rouge Business Report says Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer will request approval from the Metro Council at its meeting Wednesday to enter into a $49,500 contract with AECOM to assess parking patterns on the streets and surface parking lots.More >>

Drones may be seen flying in Downtown Baton Rouge Thursday, according to the Baton Rouge Business Report. The Baton Rouge Business Report says Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer will request approval from the Metro Council at its meeting Wednesday to enter into a $49,500 contract with AECOM to assess parking patterns on the streets and surface parking lots.More >>

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

The Downtown Development District will conduct an extensive parking study in downtown Baton Rouge beginning Thursday that will assess existing spaces, as well as areas where more can be created.

"We want to identify where those areas of intensity are that are hard to park and then identify those areas that it's not," said Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District.

The last parking study in downtown Baton Rouge happened in 2004. According to Rhorer, much has changed in 10 years and more will change in the coming years.

"It's a rethinking of some of those existing structures that we have, but it's also going to identify where the developments have occurred and where we need to address the issues of parking," Rhorer added.

The study will focus on the immediate business district of downtown Baton Rouge. The area has loose boundaries of Government Street to the south, North Street to the north, River Road to the west and 4th Street to the east. The study will also include the potential for up to 500 parking spaces the city hopes to clear and mark under the interstate.

This is the first year drones will help the DDD with its study. Rhorer said the advancing technology serves as a cost saving measure.

The study could continue at least six weeks, but Rhorer stated it will not affect traffic or anyone's travel plans heading to the downtown area.